For someone like Jacen, who had lost all his family but a brother, the Stones-annual-mid-summer-cookout was something overwhelming. But his very pregnant – almost six months along – wife begged like a little girl for him to take her to her parent's house in May and he agreed just to make her happy. Usually she wouldn't have had to beg but Jacen was being dead serious about how careful he was with anything that had to do with Darla. She, in fact, was always amazed by all the things Jacen would do just to make sure she and the baby were alright. Oh, and of course, there was that little crib Jacen had made for their baby, he had actually done it all by himself. It was a tradition among the Bears, Jacen said he was just following it but it meant so much to Darla.
Anyway, Jacen learned soon enough that just as his little Darla could be a fearless warrior, very wolfish, she could also be like a cute little puppy and could get him to do whatever she wanted. Darla seemed to not be aware of this even when she was most definitely taking advantage of it.
The Stone's annual-mid-summer-cookout was in full blow. Since Mrs. Stone had expressed her wish to meet Jared, he was there too. For him, it seemed, it was natural to mingle among all those strangers, but for the most part he had decided to tag along with Marcus, since both of them had the same mental age – around twelve which was actually Marcus' age – they had bonded rather quickly.
At the current time, Marcus and Jared were playing Sabbac on the floor of the main living room, people were roaming around with their drinks and making polite conversation. Jacen was hearing Max Stone and Adam discuss the new borders policy that would be applying as soon as all the roads opened after the storms season. With the new gained stability between the Wolf Lands and the Black Woods, they were trying to get people to think of the two kingdoms as one. There had been reluctance at first, but the wolves trusted their princess as much as the Bears had come to adore her, and Jacen's authority and ability as king were never questioned.
Jacen was looking around too, he had been in that room before but never actually paid attention. Now he noticed some things, like the portrait of Darla that hung above the fireplace, in the picture she must had been around 12 years old and looked really pretty, he made a mental note about asking her about that portrait. Just then Darla came in from the kitchen where she had been helping her mother to get everything ready for the cookout to begin. She was carrying a big piece of pie.
She went over to Jacen and took a seat next to him, she looked beautiful if huge, but she was very proud of her growing stomach. Through all her pregnancy, with the morning sickness and dizziness and weird cravings, she always made sure to assure Jacen that she was very happy of being carrying his child. She knew that Jacen was happy, thrilled with the idea of his own flesh and blood growing inside the woman he loved so much, but he was also very afraid, the death of his own mother too fresh in his mind.
"Weren't you helping your mother?" Jacen asked wrapping an arm around his wife, who just leaned into him naturally. Darla still couldn't believe that there had been a time when she had tensed up when he touched her.
"I was, but she said I'm not helping if I keep eating everything," she said smiling, "But I said I was hungry and she gave me pie." She declared happily, waving her plate.
"Hey!" Max Stone snapped, "Your mother never wants to give me pie before the meal,"
"She said you would say that too, dad, and she told me to tell you that if and when you were ready to get pregnant she would give you all the pie you liked." Marcus, Adam and Jared started to laugh, Darla just smiled some more and Jacen looked as if he was having a hard time trying not to laugh.
"Your mother!" Max exclaimed getting to his feet and going off to the kitchen. A few moments later there was a loud shriek that almost made Jacen jump, he was like that, jumpy, lately.
"NO!" shrieked Jared.
"What?"
"I just lost my horse," Jared cried, looking like he was in great emotional distress. Who knew he was so attached to his old horse?
Darla, without moving out of her husband embrace, went, "Marcus, what's what dad always tells you about betting?"
"Not with the family." He retorted tiredly. "You can keep your horse, Jared." Marcus added, he really didn't mind about giving the horse back. "Come, I'll show you the way to get pie around here."
"I thought I had to get pregnant for that," Jared said, amused.
"Well, you could try that but there is an easier way," Marcus said, putting on his little angel face. "Now, just remember to put the same face you did when you thought you had lost your horse, ok?"
Sure enough, less than five minutes later Jared and Marcus came back with slices of pie, following them was a very annoyed and pie-less Max Stone. "Marcus," he said in a booming voice, "Help me get the tables out."
Marcus didn't even flinched, "Nuh uh, Pie comes first!"
"Fine."
"I'll help," Jacen said.
"Uh, I'll get the table clothes," Darla said once she had finished her pie.
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"God, why do I always forget that mom puts the table clothes in the high shelf!" I murmured while trying to reach for the stuff in the high shelf. When I finally managed to pull at the cloth, I lost my balance and I found myself stumbling backwards. I would have fallen, but I felt that someone caught me. "Thanks." I said, turning around.
"You're very welcome," Hector said looking at me; I knew he was staying at my parent's; Dad loves him as a son and wouldn't want him to live alone so, of course, he took him in.
"Hi, Hector," I said trying to keep my voice cool.
"Nice to see you, Darla," he answered, he was studying my face, "You know, I always thought you would look real pretty being pregnant."
"Thanks, I guess."
There was this overwhelming silence, neither of us spoke but we weren't sure if we should leave either, finally Hector said: "I apologize for what happened last time, but I won't ask you to forgive me, I don't think I deserve it."
"Hector..." I said softly, I wanted to forgive him, mostly because this Hector actually sounded like my friend and not like the hell-vent-hearted person who had fought with me all those months ago.
"I just want you to know that you and your child can count with my loyalty. For my honor I swear it."
I felt as if lightning had just struck, I know that for Hector, more than wealth or love, his honor is what matters the most. "You know that loyalty to me and my baby means loyalty to its father."
"I know," Hector sighed tiredly, "Just don't make me say it." Then, in this surprisingly brother-like gesture, he reached up and cupped my face with both his strong hands, and then he kissed my forehead, "I wish you a life full of the unexpected."
Those words were familiar to me, Conrad used to say them all the time, it was the best wish he had, a wish for his friends to have a life that they wouldn't regret by learning cope with pain and accepting joy, and live each day to the fullest not knowing if joy or pain where on the horizon. Hector saying it to me meant a lot. Then Hector let go of my face, and turned around to go in the opposite direction of the hallway.
Hector was about to disappear around the corner of the hallway when I heard Jacen's footsteps coming closer. It's a trademark of my kind, we can hear like wolves.
"Are you alright?" Jacen asked, "Do you feel dizzy? Or sick?" He spoke in a blur. "What took you so long?"
"I'm ok," I answered softly, and just then Jacen caught a glimpse of Hector's retreating back.
"Did he said something to you? Are you ok?" he asked, getting angry just at the thought of Hector saying something hurtful to me.
"I'm fine, Jacen," I repeated, this time I smiled; Jacen calmed down and reached out to place his hand over my stomach, caressing it softly.
"I'm sorry if I over reacted, but you and our baby are everything to me, and I..."
It happened just then. Mom had told me about this, and I thought I knew what was going to feel like, but I had no idea. When my baby kicked for the very first time it was just under Jacen's hand. Jacen jumped about a mille or two.
"Was that what I think it was?" Jacen asked when he felt another little kick.
"I guess baby knows when its daddy is around," I said smiling. Ok, I know that everyone is betting is going to be a boy, but I want to keep to suspense a little bit, that's why I always say 'it' instead of 'he'.
(?=(=(=(=(=(=
(Ten years later…)
"Your majesty?" The doctor said, and I snapped back into attention. Darla went into labor around three in the morning, is almost noon and the baby hasn't born yet. "I'm not going to lie to you, is going to be a difficult delivery. Now the queen is ok, but the contractions are getting bigger. She wants to speak to you."
"Thank you," I said in my serious voice. Darla hates when I talk like that, so as I sat on the edge of the bed I concentrated on sounding normal when I talked to her.
"How do you feel?" I asked, not managing to keep all the fear out of my voice, and Darla knows me well enough to notice. But she looked so pale and I couldn't help it.
"I'm just a bit tired, but I think she is ready to come out," Darla is convinced this one is going to be a girl. "Where are my boys?" she said.
"Dean and Jesse are with Jared, I sent them to eat," I answered taking her hand in mine, hers where a bit cold and is no wonder, is the middle of the winter.
"Good," she said smiling. Dean is the eldest of my sons, he is nine and Jesse is five. I was convinced we wouldn't have more kids. When she told me she was pregnant again, I must admit, my blood froze in my veins, the third isn't the charm one in my family, Jasmine was the third for my mother and both of them died. "Your daughter and I are going to be just fine. You'll see." She added sweetly, and I leaned in to kiss her. I needed to pull myself together, trust her when she said everything was going to be fine. It wasn't easy but it needed to be done.
)?=)??)??)?
As I woke up I realize its already after twilight, I'm in my bed but my maternity nightgown was gone, instead I have on a clean, fresh p.j.'s, it's Jacen's, I vaguely remember changing before passing out of in exhaustion. All I have to say is that that girl took her time coming out.
The first thing that caught my attention is that my two sons are asleep in one of the sofas Jacen's and my chamber. Dean is the spinning image of Jacen, only that he has my eyes. Jesse has my mother's eyes – or Lady June's, it doesn't matter since she and my mother have the same kind of pale grayish-greenish eyes, they are sisters after all - but his hair isn't as dark as Jacen's or Dean's.
And in the chair next to my bed, I see my husband – who, I guess, fell asleep soon after I did. In his arms he has our newest creation, our baby girl is peacefully asleep in his arms, resting against his chest. Jacen felt me wake up, he always does.
"Milady," he says playfully, he hasn't been that playful in the last few months so is nice to see his old self coming back. "Here I present to you, our daughter." He puts her in my arms, well her and the bunch of blankets in which she is wrapped. "She has been real quiet but I guess she'll be hungry soon."
I unwrap her a little bit, I want to see her, a little smile creeps to Jacen's lips as he sees me actually look at my daughter for the first time. Before all I said was 'good, she is out, I'm going to sleep', I was really tired, she woke me up at three in the morning.
"She got your cute little nose, and your ears," he says in my ear in such a loving tone that melts me on the spot, He has moved from the chair to our bed and is seating by my side so I can lean my back into his chest. He moves his hand to caress the little head and the faint red hair there. "And of course, your hair."
"She is going to hate it, I know it. I hated my red hair while I was growing up. People were always saying 'watch out for that redhead, she got a temper', that never helped."
"But I love your hair. You know, I remember the first time I saw you," he goes on. "Your army had just win a raid against the unit I was commanding near the swamps down the south border, me and some others where going to regroup on Honesdale, we were crossing trough the forest to do so, then I saw you…"
"What you're talking about? The first time we saw each other was the day we married," I protest but he brings my face up to his and silences me with a kiss, he says that the only way to keep me quiet is with his mouth.
"As I was saying, I saw you. You must have been 15 – if I'm doing the math correctly. Your hair was all messy and you had a cut right here," he traced his finger over my cheek, "I saw you stop and stay still, so still I thought you had froze. I realized you were a wolf because of your poise, but you looked so innocent, so full of life; and I didn't dare to give the order for my men to attack you. Then you looked right into where I was hiding in the shadows of the trees, you shook your head and started to run again." He smiled. "I was thunderstruck with you that day. All I had ever heard about wolfs told me your kind was cold, dead inside, I had confirmed that in battle seeing how the soldiers of the Wolf Lands would block themselves out of emotion. But you, alone in that forest, you were such an image of life and I didn't dared to kill you…"
"Try to, you wouldn't have succeeded," I say mostly out of reflex, I can believe what I'm hearing. But I have my honor as a warrior, I wasn't some prissy princess, I know that I can't take guys as strong as Jacen down, or at least back then I could.
"Try to," he repeats kissing the top of my head, he still sounds too amused for my own liking. "That's why I was so surprised when I saw it was you the princess of the Wolf Lands, that day, when we married. That's why I kissed like I did"
"You gasped when you saw me," I say, happy that I can finally participate. "I always wondered why you did that."
"You never asked," he says in his know-it-all voice. "And then you kissed me back, and it sort of gave me hope, you know, that we might work."
I open my mouth to say something, anything really, even when I wasn't sure what. Then my girl woke up and I tore my gaze away from Jacen's, just to meet with another pair of sparkling blue eyes. So all I say is, "Look who's got daddy's eyes."
"We need to give her a name," Jacen says as I feed her.
"You name her, since I named he boys." Who, I might add, are still sound asleep.
"Bryanna," He says. "I really want to get away from the D's and M's" (M's because all the males in Darla's family have name with an M), "And I really don't want to go near the J's"
"Bryanna it is," I can totally relate to this, there are too many J's in our family. And Bryanna Sharade sounds kind of pretty. It kind of suits her.
The End!
Author's Note:
Like I said I'm not so sure about writing an epilogue. Usually I would but I don't know.
The only part that is somewhat clear is how Bryanna meets Javier Montell.
Anyway, I better go!
Please REVIEW!!!
And thanks so much to Krissy for being my Beta, she is the best!